Successful seeding of hatchery-produced juvenile greenlip abalone to restore wild stocks

Abstract

Seeding of hatchery-produced abalone has the potential to enhance or maintain wild populations and ensure the viability of fishing grounds, but survival of outplanted juveniles has been poor in many previous seeding experiments. In our study hatchery produced Haliotis laevigata, age 18 months with a mean size of 28 ± 3 mm, were released at eight sites in South Australia. Because a pilot study showed significant increases in survival 2 months after release in reefs with two layers of boulders compared to a single layer, six reefs were established at each site, each with two boulder layers and approximately 6 m2 in area. Juveniles were anaesthetised prior to individual tagging and then given 5..